Acid victim takes wounds to grave

With twelve-year fight for justice and recovery, acid attack victim Fakhra Younus commits suicide in Italy.Private television reports Saturday said her body will be brought back to Karachi today.“It is quite saddening to learn about the death of Fakhra Younus, who made her home in Italy as a ‘civil unacceptable person’ after going through the painful experience,” a report said.Back in 2000, she was reportedly attacked by her husband Bilal Khar (a son of Ghulam Mustafa Khar and an ex-MPA from Punjab), who spilled acid on her face after they split up.She had stated: “It was a Sunday afternoon (2:30pm) on May 14, 2000 and I was asleep in my drawing room when I heard Bilal saying ‘Fakhra… Fakhra wake up!’ I jerked as he held me by my hair and opened my mouth. Because I resisted, he couldn’t get me to swallow some liquid. But then he threw that thing on me. At first I thought it was a joke. I didn’t understand what had happened to me. Then he left, so I ran after him. My house was on the second floor, and by the time I got to the first floor, I realized I could not see.”Fakhra was a resident of Napier Road. She met Bilal Khar in 1998 and finally ended up tying the knot. The couple moved to Lahore where Fakhira came to know about Bilal’s previous three marriages. She was taken aback and this caused the tussle between the two.She spent three years with him and then moved back to her parental home. Bilal insisted her not to leave and stay with him but Fakhra had had enough till then.Almost one week after her departure, Bilal arrived at her home and punished her for daring leave him. It was the horrendous act, which changed her entire life. She lost her beauty and became the ugly queen of clay. The acid had literally melted her face.Meanwhile, Tehmina Durrani, the former step mother of Bilal Khar, took Fakhira in her custody and gave her the hope to get along. Fakhira was sent to Italy for treatment where she had 39 reconstructive surgeries. And finally she lost all hope.